Workers from BiH lose permits and must leave Croatia for glorifying Ratko Mladić

A Dubrovnik court has fined three workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina for glorifying Ratko Mladić. They will lose their work and residence permits and face a three-month ban on entering Croatia, the Dubrovnik-Neretva police reported on Thursday. The police have also filed charges against two more men for the same offense.

The police reported that between August 28 and September 2, they conducted criminal investigations into four BiH citizens aged 31, 30, 25, and 25, who were on temporary residence in Croatia, as well as a 35-year-old Croatian citizen.

It was established that they posted images, symbols, songs, and texts on their public and open social media profiles that paid tribute and expressed gratitude to a person convicted of war crimes. The police stated that by doing so, they caused anxiety, discomfort, and a sense of grievance among citizens, from whom the police received multiple reports.

"Since social networks are a place accessible to the public and an indefinite number of citizens, the perpetrators in this way insulted the national feelings of the citizens of the Republic of Croatia," the police stated, adding that they violated the provisions of the Law on Offenses Against Public Order and Peace.

All five men were arrested—one in the area of Župa Dubrovačka and four in Dubrovnik—and were brought before the Municipal Court.

Punished with Fines and Deportation

Three BiH citizens were found guilty in a non-final ruling and were punished with fines.

Following this, their residence and work permits will be revoked, and their short-term stay in Croatia will be canceled, alongside a three-month ban on entering the country, according to the police.

Deportation proceedings from the European Economic Area (EEA) have also been initiated against them, including a two-year entry ban, which will take effect once the verdict becomes final.

The fourth BiH citizen and the 35-year-old Croatian citizen will also be brought before the Municipal Court in Dubrovnik, according to police statements.

Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, was sentenced in a final ruling to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws and customs of war committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina—including persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, and the forced transfer of the population—and recently died in prison in The Hague.

Source: HRT